Writing instrument with counter

ABSTRACT

A writing instrument having a filler with a writing device thereon reciprocal in a casing. At least one plunger constituting sensing means senses the reciprocable movement of the filler when writing is effected, and carries out rotation of series counter discs which count in a decimal system. The plunger has toothed axial projections which engage a ratchet on the first one of the counter discs and rotate it, for each reciprocal movement of the filler when a writing operation is executed. The counter discs are provided with coupling springs that cooperate with fixed notched discs on plate discs between the counting discs for carrying out arithmetic &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;carry&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; operations so that the counter can count units, tens and hundreds. A second embodiment of the counter provides for detection of the writing operations by a spindle and for actuation of the counter independently of the writing operations, so that a counting operation can be carried out at will by a reciprocably actuated member that can be selectively coupled to the counter at will or used to couple the filler to the counter.

United States Patent 1191 ()tsuka et al.

[111 3,843,047 1451 Oct. 22, 1974 WRITING INSTRUMENT WITH COUNTER Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Tomsky Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Burns; [75] Inventors. Koulchi Otsuka, Ch1ba,Yuk10 Fujimi, Narashino, both of Japan Emmanuel J. Lobato, Bruce L. Adams [73] Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Daini Seikosha,

Tokyo Japan [57] ABSTRAiT A writing instrument having a lller with a writing de- [22] 1973 vice thereon reciprocal in a casing. At least one [21] Appl. No.: 332,763 plunger constituting sensing means senses the reciprocable movement of the filler when writing is effected, [30] F A P D t and carries out rotation of series counter discs which ore'gn pplca y a a count in a decimal system. The plunger has toothed Ffib. l6, Japan axial projections engage a ratchet n.the first July 7, l972 Japan 47-67522 one of the ounter discs and rotate it for each reciprocal movement of the filler when a writing operation U-S- Cl.

is executed The counter discs are provided cou- Cl. I springs ooperate fixed notched di c Fleld of Search on plate discs between the counting discs for carrying 35/48 R out arithmetic carry operations so that the counter can count units, tens and hundreds. A second embodil References Clted ment of the counter provides for detection of the writ- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing operations by a spindle and for actuation of the 1,007,350 10/1911 Goodin 235/64 eennter independently of the Writing Operations, 80 2,357,940 9/1944 DuL de,,, 235 4 that a counting operation can be carried out at will by 3,254,836 6/1966 Corpian 235/64 a reciprocably actuated member that can be selectlVely coupled to the Counter at or used to couple the tiller to the counter. 457,069 5/1950 Italy 235/64 3 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures 10 1| 5! H1742; 640 64 J54 44 645 A .57 V J "6/ In 11 nm V BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to writing instruments such as pens and mechanical pencils and more particularly to a writing instrument with a built-in counter for counting the writing operations and counting generally.

Conventional counters for writing instruments are known and generally are constructed separately from the writing instrument itself and they cannot carry out automatically a counting of the frequency of writing operations. These known counters require time in car rying out checking as to the correctness of the count and are subject to counting mistakes, as well as the inconvenience of handling them.

SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a writing instrument having a built-in counter that automatically counts the writing operations as the writing instrument is used.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a writing instrument and counter therein which obviates the deficiencies of the known counters and automatically carries out a correct count of the writing operations and can be used to count, for general use, at

will independently of the execution of writing operations.

The writing instrument according to the invention comprisesa cylindrical casing for mounting reciprocably therein a filler having a writing device thereon, for

example a nib. The filler isactuatedreciprocably carrying out counting in tens and hundreds besides units and provision is made for automatically coupling the counter disc carrying out carry operations, so that a count is carried out in a decimal system.

A second embodiment of a writing instrument has a counter which provides for counting the reciprocable movement of the tiller, the movement is detected by a spindle, in response to writing operations and has an independent button or knob actuated reciprocably and connectable at will to the counter for counting, by actuating a plunger, independently of the reciprocable movement of the tiller for counting at will. The same knob or button is used to selectively couple the plunger tothe filler for sensing the movement of the filler and counting in response to this movement by automatic engagement of the plunger with the counter upon reciprocable movement of the tiller.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description of an example of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross section view of a writing instrument and built-in counter according to the present invention; Y

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a sensing arrangement for actuating a counter in the writing instrument in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a counter embodied in the writing instrument in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are fragmentary cross section views on an enlarged scale illustrating the counter mechanism of the writing instrument in FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C are diagrammatic views illustrating the actuation and functioning of the counter in the writing instrument of FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a second embodiment of a writing instrument and built-in counter according to the invention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of a sensing arrangement and part of a counter mechanism of the embodiment of the writing instrument in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a perspective diagrammatic view of a man'' ual operated element for counting with the counter mechanism of the embodiment of the counter in FIG. 7;

FIGS. 10 and II are section views taken along respective section lines in FIG. 7; and

FIGS. 12A, 12B and 12C are schematic diagrams for illustrating the actuation and functioning of the counter in the writing instrument of FIG. 7.-

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a ball point pen filler I is mounted in a tubular casing 2 and threaded on to a threaded tip 3 for reciprocable axial movement. The filler has a writing device, for example a nib, extending outwardly of the writing instrument for writing. A first feed and sensing plunger 4 is provided with a bore 4A for receiving an inner end portion IA of the pen tiller 1. A coiled spring 5 is received between two axial projections 4a of the plunger 4 and bears against a second plunger 6 mounted coaxial with the first plunger and movable axially of the casing. A threaded plug 7 has four peripheral guide grooves or notches 7a for receiving and guiding therein a set of axial projections 6a of the second plunger and the set of axial projections 4a of the first plunger. The axial projections of the first and second plungers are disposed about and the two sets of projections are offset angularly about the axis of the pen as shown in FIG. 2.

The plug or seat 7 has an axial spindle shaft-like extension 8 and its enlarged part thereof has peripheral threads threaded in an inner thread 2A of the casing 2. The shaft-like extension or spindle 8 extends axially through a cap 9 secured from axial movement relative thereto by a washer l0 and rotational relative to the shaft-like extension and the casing 2. The cap 9 has an inner shoulder on which the casing 2 seats and the cap is rotatable in a circumferential direction relative to the pen body or casing 2 while guided rotationally.

A built-in counting mechanism, FIGS. 1 and 3, is constructed internally of the writing instrument or pen for counting the reciprocable movements of the filler. The counting mechanism comprises a plurality of rotatable counter discs actuated by the axial displacement of the two plungers. A first counter disc 11 is disposed on the spindle 8 and has an integral ratchet 12 engage able by'the axial-projections4A, 6A. 'A- (llshaped stit uting numerals N, ranging from zero to nine.

A plate disc 16 is mounted'on the spindle 8 and has a central rectangular opening corresponding with the cross section of the spindle 8 so that it is not rotatable thereon. The plate disc 16 has a peripheral notch 16A into which a part 'of' the spring 13 on the first counter disc can extend as later explained. A second counter disc'17 is likewise rotatably mounted on the spindle 8 coaxially with the two mentioned discs 11, 1'6 and a third counter disc 19. It has peripheral counting indicia N constituting the numerals zero to nine. This second counter disc has a face or major surface 17A having a plurality of angularly spaced recesses aligned with and equal in number to the numerical indicia or corresponding numerals on the periphery of the disc. The second counter disc has a spring 21 in a major surface recess thereof opposite to the major surface 17A. This spring 2l is similarly constructed and mounted as the spring 13 on the firstcounter disc.

A second plate disc 22 constructed similarly to the first plate disc 16, with-a peripheral notch, is mounted non-rotatably on the spindle 8 intermediate the second counter disc, and the third counter disc 19. The third counter disc 19 has peripheral counting indicia similarly to the two other counter discs and angularly disposed recesses 20,'equal in number to the indicia, on its major surface confronting the plate disc 22. All of the counter discs are freely rotatable on the spindle 8 but are fixed axially thereon, for example by being fixed thereto by pins, not shown.

The teeth of the ratchet 12 are constructed to divide the counter disc 11 .into 36'increments.-There are digits on the 360 periphery of the counter disc so that rotation from one numeral to the next requires a rotation of 36. In order to make it possible for the axial projections 4a, 6a to actuate or rotate the ratchet, the tips of these projections are formed as teeth complementary to those of the ratchet as shown diagrammatically in FIGS. 6A-6C. Moreover, the toothed projections 4a of the first plunger 4 are normally axially spaced from the ratchet teethsince the compression spring 5 continuously biases the first plunger toward a position seated gainst an internal shoulder in the tubular casing 2as shown in FIG. 1 and the second plunger is biased to the seat or plug 7. The compression spring continuously biases the second plunger 6 so that its toothed axial projections 6a mate with or engage the teeth of the ratchet l2 and are constructed with two beveled surfaces and disposed so that both crests of next successive teeth are engaged. The toothed axial projections 4a on the first plunger on the other hand are, and need to be, out of registry with the teeth of the ratchet. There are only a few degrees of overlap in a circumferential direction designated in FIG. 6A as a circumferential amount or distance d".

The counting mechanism counts the discrete times that the writing instrument is used for writing. When the tiller tip portion extending out of the tip 3 makes contact. as shown in FIG. l, with a surface to be written on it is actuated axially so that it moves the first plunger 4 axially so that the spring Sin contact therewith is compressed and its axial extension 4a engage the ratchet 12 of the first counter disc 11 and rotate it 36 2 (i.e., 34) from the position shown in FIG. 6A to thatshown in FIG. 6B.

As the first plunger moves toward the ratchet, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 6A, the second'plunger applies a counter compression force, indicated by an arrow,on the spring 5. Whei1 engagement is made by the toothed projections 4a of the first plunger, the beveled contacting complementary-surfaces slide along each other and the first counter disc is carnm'ed rotationally the full. circumferential distance corresponding to the width of a tooth (36) minus the distance d of overlap (36d). The meshed teeth of the axial projections hold the rotated first counter disc s'tationarily while the writing instrument is pressed against the writing surface while writing. It will be seen that as the first counter disc is rotated by the axial toothed projections 4a of the first plunger, a tooth of the ratchetengaged by the toothed projections 6a of the second plunger rides on a bevelled surface thereof and earns the secondplunger in a direction away from the ratchet further compressing the compression spring and leaving the toothed projections 6a in position for axial displacement'toward the ratchet when the first plunger is disengaged from the ratchet.

When the writing instrument is lifted off the writing surfaces, the compression spring 5 restores the first plunger 4 to;its seated position and the filler writing device to its fully projected position. As the compression spring moves the first plungers toothed'axial projections, away from the ratchet l2 and disengages them therefrom, the first counter disc is freed for rotation. The second plunger 6 is biased by the compression spring toward the ratchet and the toothed axial projections ride along the complementary tooth surfaces of the ratchet as shown in FIG. 6C until full registery therewith is established and the first counter disc is rotated the additional distance of 2 and the ratchet has accordingly been displaced 36, the full width of an individual tooth and one count has been made by the first counter disc. As the first count is completed, the first disc and the ratchet teeth are again disposed out of axial registry with the first plunger toothed axial projections a distance d in readiness for the next count.

The counter is constructed to count units by tens and hundreds. The first counter disc 11 counts units, the second counter disc 17 counts tends and the third counter disc 19 is a hundreds counter. Provision is made for arithmetic carry'operations in the counting of the axial displacements or writing operations of the filler. When the units counting disc 11 complets a full rotation, it arrives at an angular position in which its coupling spring 13 is in registry with the notch 16A of the first plate and it produces therethrough and engages one of recesses 18 of the tens counting disc 17 and rotates it 36, which is the width of the notch 16a from its zero position to indicate 1. As the units counting disc 11 continues its rotation its coupling spring 13 is deflected into its housing recess and bears against the solid surface of the first plate disc 16 until a second revolution is completed and the units counting disc 11 is again coupled when the spring 13 is again in registry with the notchl6a, to the tens counting disc 17 to again execute a carry operation. The same mode of operation is carired out between the tens counting disc,

'5 the second-plate disc 19.

The cap 9 is provided with a window through which the counting indicia on the counter discs 11, 17, 22 is read. A flexible strip mounted on the cap 9 carries a zeroizing lever 23 that is deflected inwardly through the window of the cap 9 to engage projections 11C, 17C, 19C on the periphery of the individual counter discs to rotate them to a zero-indicting position upon rotation of the cap to establish a zero setting on the counter.

The counter described for counting and indicating the frequency of the axial displacements of the writing instrument filler only counts in response to writing operations. The invention provides a writing instrument in which the counting can take place independently of the writing operations. An embodiment of this type is shown in FIGS. 7-11.

As shown in FIG. 7, a spindle 51 extends axially in a writing instrunet shown fragmentarily. The spindle is coupled to a forked plunger 52 and extends into and is axially slidable in a blind bore 52a of the forked plunger portion 52A. The plunger has a toothed portion 528 housing a compression spring 53 disposed circumferentially of the spindle 51. A seat 54 has a bore through which the spindle 51 extends and is provided with peripheral guide notches, best seen in FIG. 8, through which extend the toothed axial extensions of the plunger portion 528. The seat has a major face surface 54 provided with two recesses housing two noncompressible balls 54A.

Three counter discs 55, 56, 57 mounted rotationally on the spindle 51 carry out a count in a decimal system as before described with respect to the first embodiment. The units counting disc 55 has a plurality of teeth engaged by the toothed axial extensions on the plunger to rotate the counter discs to effect counting. The plunger 52 is keyed with the spindle 51 by a key or pin 59 in a hole 62A and a second pin 61 disposed axially spaced therefrom is likewise mounted in the spindle transversely thereof and axially displaceable therewith.

This second pin couples the spindle 51 to a manualcounting operator as will be explained herein.

A sleeve 62 is mounted internally of a cap 63 which has threads 63A threaded onto complementary threads of the casing or body 58. The sleeve 62 holds the pin 59 in place radially relative to the spindle 51. The casing has a longitudinal slot 628 to allow axial movement of the spindle 51 when the pin 59 is aligned with this groove to allow counting of the writing operations when pressure is applied in the direction A shown by the arrow A in th FIG. 7.

A knob 64, constituting the manual operator mentioned above, is mounted internally of the sleeve 62 for axial movement therein and has an end face 64A against which a compression spring is seated and a shoulder 648 for seating against a shoulder formed on the cap 63 circumferentially of an axial opening therein through which an axial extension of the knob or button 64 extends. The knob 64 is provided with an elongated slot 64C, which can receive the second pin 61 as hereinafter described. The knob is likewise provided with a recess 64E within which the pin 61 is received when the pin 61 is disposed as illustrated in FIG. 7 for coupling the knob 64 to the plunger 52 for counting independently of the reciprocal movement of the pen filler 65.

disc 22 and the hundreds counting in alignment .with the elongated slot 64C of the knob.

The pin 59 also is in alignment with the corresponding elongated groove 62B. The spindle 51 is free to move axially so that the counter disc 55 can be coupled with the plunger 52 to carry out rotation of the counter discs as hereinafter explained in detail relative to counting writing operations. On the other hand, when the knob is depressed and rotated so that its projection 64D is moved towards the left in FIG. 11, the two pins 59, 61 are rotated out of registry with the corresponding elongated slots, and only the knob can then actuate the plunger 52, so that a counting action can be carried out manually independently of the writing operations.

- Thus, the knob can be used to couple and uncouple the counter for selective counting in response to writing operations or otherwise. When the knob is actuated or depressed, in the direction shown by the arrow B, manually for counting, the counter can be used for any general purpose count.

The mode of operation of the plunger 52 and the seat 54 in actuating the counting operation is illustrated diagrammatically in FIGS. 12A-12C. The mode of operation is somewhat similar to that described of the first embodiment. The plunger 52 is generally at rest spaced from the ratchet 55A and the balls 54A are seated in the ratchet teeth as illustrated. As the plunger teeth engage as shown in FIG. 128, due to either reciprocable actuation of the tiller 65 or the knob 64, the ratchet 55A is rotated and the teeth ride over the balls 54A, as illustrated, and as the uncoupling of the plunger and first counter disc takes place, the ball then moves into the position engaging two successive teeth, so that the units counter disc 55 is rotated at full 36.

The counter discs carry out carry operations in a manner heretofore described. The structure for carrying out this type of operation is not shown but can be of the type heretofore described with respect to the first embodiment.

Thus, it can be seen that the invention provides a simple writing instrument construction in which the use thereof in writing operations can be sensed or detected and counted by a built-in counter. The counter can be used as a general purpose counter by uncoupling thereof from the spindle detecting writing operations. Counting of the writing operations is carried out automatically in an accurate manner. The writing instrument and counter can be made compactly and inexpensively.

Those skilled in the art will understand that while the present invention is illustrated as embodied in a pen, the principles thereof are equally applicable to marking pens, mechanical pencils and the like.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable writing instrument comprising a casing, reciprocable means in said casing reciprocable therein in response to each writing operation, sensing means to sense reciprocable movement of said reciprocable means, counter means in said casing actuated by said sensing means to count and indicate the reciprocable movements of said reciprocable means thereby to count said writing operations, and means for actuating said counter independently of said writing operations for counting therewith independently of said reciprocable means.

2.' A portable writing instrument according to claim lectively enabling and disenabling said sensing means. 

1. A portable writing instrument comprising a casing, reciprocable means in said casing reciprocable therein in response to each writing operation, sensing means to sense reciprocable movement of said reciprocable means, counter means in said casing actuated by said sensing means to count and indicate the reciprocable movements of said reciprocable means thereby to count said writing operations, and means for actuating said counter independently of said writing operations for counting therewith independently of said reciprocable means.
 2. A portable writing instrument according to claim 1, in which means for actuating said counter independently of said writing operations comprises manual means actuatable manually.
 3. A portable writing instrument according to claim 2, in which said manual means comprises means for selectively enabling and disenabling said sensing means. 